Mental health, suicide risk, and brain aging in autistic adults
Mental Health in Autistic Adults: An RDoC Approach
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · NIH-11120995
This project looks at mental health, suicide risk, and brain-aging measures in autistic adults and non-autistic adults to help improve diagnosis and care.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11120995 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be part of a Pittsburgh cohort of adults (18–65) that includes 200 autistic and 100 non-autistic participants, with extra enrollment of people who recently had suicidal thoughts or behaviors. You'll complete diagnostic interviews, standardized mental-health and behavioral measures, and biomarker tests that include a brain-age measure. The team will use a new probability-based method to estimate psychiatric and autism diagnoses and will track age-related factors and timing of ASD diagnosis. Study staff will help schedule visits, support retention, and monitor and respond to suicidality and other safety concerns throughout participation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18–65 with autism (including those diagnosed in adulthood) and non-autistic adults for comparison, especially people with recent suicidal ideation or behaviors who can attend site visits in Pittsburgh.
Not a fit: People under 18, adults over 65, or those unable to travel to the Pittsburgh site are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better ways to spot mental-health problems and suicide risk and to more personalized care for autistic adults.
How similar studies have performed: Components like brain-age biomarkers and RDoC-informed measures have shown promise in other mental-health research, but combining these methods with a focus on suicide risk in autistic adults is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH — PITTSBURGH, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: HANDEN, BENJAMIN L — UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- Study coordinator: HANDEN, BENJAMIN L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.